


Werewolves of Riverdale

by Malmo722



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, House Party, Sex, Supernatural Elements, Violence, Werewolf Hunters, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2018-12-05 14:52:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11580321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malmo722/pseuds/Malmo722
Summary: The people of Riverdale are terrified fearing there is a serial killer on the lose but Betty Cooper knows better. Werewolves have come back to Riverdale. She will do whatever it takes to protect her town, even going head to head with the packs Beta, Jughead Jones.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I’m not happy with this but I never will be so I’m just gonna post it. I have never read the comic this idea is based on so it’s probably very different. I’m basing a lot this on Wynonna Earp, which is a fucking amazing show and you should all watch it. This is more sci-fi/fantasy/horror based, theres not a lot of romance. I’m also not an expert in werewolf/lycan lore so I’m sorry if there are inaccuracies. I won’t be writing a follow up to this but if anyone else wants to take this idea and run with it go for it.
> 
> I edited this myself so there are probably a lot of errors.

Betty Cooper had a bad reputation.

Her family lineage called for it, for her to be an outcast, a weirdo, a short fuse. A person others did not get along with.

She had spent a lot of her younger years trying to fit in. She tried to say the right things, do the right things, join the right clubs and make the right friends.

When she realized her blonde hair and heart shaped face couldn’t get her a spot on the cheerleading squad, she embraced what made her different.  

She embraced the leather and tattoos. The nightly training in hand to hand combat and the hours of studying lore, fairy tales and wolf anatomy. She learned to love Shadowmoon, the gun that belonged to her great-great-great-great grandmother; the first werewolf hunter in her family.

There had been no need for a hunter in Riverdale for decades. The great war had all but ended the werewolf bloodline and a need for a slayer disappeared. Her mother, who was also her mentor, had never needed to fight a day in her life. There had been nothing but peace for as long as Betty could remember.

But now there were four dead bodies and a serial killer on the loose. The news called him the Riverdale Ripper but Betty knew better.

Werewolves had come back to Riverdale.

They were living on the Southside of town posing at a biker gang. It kept people away and allowed them to travel in a pack inconspicuously. The wolves were merciless and killed without remorse.

Jason Blossom had been left on the steps of city hall, insides on the outsides.

Mrs. Grundy was found in her small apartment so ripped apart that she had to be I.D’ed using dental records.

Moose Mason was in pieces at Sweetwater River.

Dilton Dooley’s body was never found but someone had placed his heart on his parents front porch.

Betty felt an overwhelming guilt that she had allowed the situation to get out of hand. No one her age should have to go to that many funerals but there was no rule book on killing werewolves. If anything it fuelled the fire within her and made her work harder.

She spent every moment she wasn’t working her day job at the Riverdale police station looking over the evidence. At night she was combing the forest looking for clues or a werewolf to slay but she wasn’t having any luck. It was beyond frustrating.

People were being murdered and all Kevin Keller could think about was going to a party.

“Veronica is having a shindig and we should go.” Kevin recommended as he lounged on her couch. He was Betty's only friend.

“You know I can’t.” She sighed loading silver bullets into Shadowmoon. Betty admired the ancient symbols carved into the barrel of the Colt .45.  

“Yeah but considering I’m not the sheriff and we aren’t finding anything, hunting is hella boring for me.” Kevin scrolled through his phone. “And you deserve one night off.”

The Keller and Cooper families had been working together for decades to help rid the area of werewolves. If a mess was made the police helped clean it up.

“What if this is the night four becomes five. I can’t have another body on my hands Kevin, I can’t.” She shook her head and put the gun down on the table. “Even if we went, everyone in this town hates me. There is no way I could have a good time at this thing.” Betty sighed and pulled her hair up into her signature ponytail. She sat on her couch and put on her beloved black leather boots. They were perfect for fighting and she slid her favorite knife into the sheath inside.

“Then go for me. There is finally a new batch of students and one of them has to be gay.” He went to go look at himself in the full length mirror attached to he bedroom door.

Betty lived alone in a small apartment in the heart of town. It was big enough to fit a couch, arm chair, TV stand and a dining room table. In the bedroom sat a bed, a dresser and one night stand. Her closet was where she kept all her weapons and fighting gear.

“Oh yeah, it’s September, a new school year started.”

Riverdale was a college town. Most of the people Betty went to high school with never left and she was forced to put up with them everyday. If she was being honest, she was embarrassed to see them. She didn’t have time for college and because of her oath to protect the town she knew she would never leave the place where she was born and raised. She knew she would keep her job at the Piggly Wiggly forever and never have anything more than this. The life span of an active hunter wasn't very long so maybe should wouldn't have to worry about it for much longer.

Betty took a deep breath in and looked at her friend. He had done so much for her, gave up his time and put his life on the line to help her. If she was only going to live a finite amount of years she could have a drink or two. “Fine but you need to help me get Archie drunk enough so that I look like a viable option.”

“Girl, he’s already slept with you. If you ask him to fuck you, he'll fuck you.” Kevin reassured as he put his coat on.

“How romantic.” Betty rolled her eyes.

“We both know you’re not looking to fall in love, we just need to loosen you up. Archie Andrews did a pretty good job last time.” Kevin opened her front door.

Betty grabbed her keys and leather jacket. “Please don’t make me regret this.” She warned heading out the door.

She left Shadowmoon on the table.

* * *

Veronica Lodge’s house was the biggest one in town and a weekend didn’t pass when she didn’t have a party. Cars littered the driveway and drunken kids danced and chatted wherever they could.

They stepped into the grand space, a spiral staircase on her left and a large foyer and living room to her right. Everything was white. White marble, curtains, sofas, carpets and tables. She felt like a bull in a china shop, she was a messy person and white wasn't her color.

Betty groaned when she heard the music. “DMX? What year is this?” She looked around at everyone and shook her head. “Nope, I can’t do this.” She turned to leave but walked smack into Kevin who turned her around and pushed her into the house.

“You are staying, you are having a drink, you are finding Archie and then you can leave. Please don’t punch anyone.” He pleaded, leaving her alone so he could talk to a blue eyed blonde leaning against the far wall. Kevin picked up two drinks, downing one, tossing the cup on the floor and casually approached the man.

Betty sighed and looked around for anyone she could speak to.

She saw Cheryl Blossom standing awkwardly in the corner with a beer in her hand. Her hair was dull and lifeless and it looked like she hadn’t slept in days. The rumour was she had a full blown mental breakdown when her twin Jason was murdered. Betty felt for her, she should have been able to protect the Blossom family but had failed.  Going over there meant talking about something that probably had to do with Jason.

Betty couldn’t handle a conversation like that so she headed to the kitchen to pour herself a drink instead.

She worked her way through the crowded space and filled her cup at the keg.

“Hey there, gorgeous.” Archie wrapped his arms around her waist while she was trying to take a sip of her beer, spilling it all over herself.

“Hey, Archie.” Betty shook the dripping beer off her hand as he spun her around to face him. “What’s up?”

He was looking handsome as usual. His red hair was a fashionable mess and his grin made her melt. He was more muscular than she remembered. She wondered if she could persuade him to be her work out buddy in more ways than one.

“Where have you been lately? I look for you at these things every week.” He told her leaning against the counter.

Betty perked up at his statement. “You do?” No one was ever interested if Betty was anywhere. She lurked in the shadows and put down the monsters that threatened to hurt the people who didn’t give a shit about her.

And people wondered why she had an attitude problem.

“Yeah, I thought we had a good time when we were together last.” Archie took a step towards her and pinned her against the counter.

“We did, I just didn’t think you’d want to see me again.” Betty smiled placing her beer down.

“I’d actually love to take you out but you are a hard girl to get a hold of.” He grinned, pressing his lips against hers.

“I’m not really the dating type.” She smiled against his mouth.

"I'm not against that either." He kissed her again.

“Ew, Archie, I thought you had better taste.” A familiar but grating voice said.

Betty sighed and her head lulled back in annoyance. “Hello, Veronica.”

Archie took a step away from her and gave a nod to the dark haired beauty.

Veronica Lodge was wealthy, beautiful, spoke a mile a minute and believed she was better than everyone else because she wore Manolo’s. She was one of the girls that made Betty’s high school experience a nightmare.

Veronica was a bitch with a capital B.

“How is that you don’t live in a trailer park but exude such a trailer trash aura?” Her comment was snide and her minions giggled around her.

“I work really hard at it Veronica. Thanks for noticing!” She grinned and started patting down her pockets looking for her cigarettes.

“What are you doing here?” Veronica asked, crossing her arms over her black party dress with sheer cutouts. "I did not invite you."

“I came to rub my trailer trash germs all over your fancy digs.” Betty smirked, sticking a cigarette between her lips, lighting it.

“You know what, I should be mad that you are a rude, disgusting waste of space but then I remember you’ll always be stuck here, bagging my groceries. You’ll make no impact on anyone and no one will care when you’re gone.” She gave her the kind of smile only a bitch could give.

Betty should have ignored her comment. She wasn't worth the energy it would take to punch her but Betty was having a weird day. Her fist connected with Veronica’s nose before she even knew she was doing it. Blood sprayed all over the brunette's dress and the white tile of the kitchen. He friends started screaming and Archie ran to her side.

“Everyone else might forget me but you won’t. I’ll come to mind every time you have to look at that busted ass nose of yours.” Betty took a long drag of her cigarette and picked up her drink.

“What is wrong with you, Betty?” Archie asked, bringing a cloth up to Veronica’s nose.

“She started it.” Betty justified, backing out of the kitchen and headed towards the front door.

“I asked you to do one thing Cooper, seriously?” Kevin shouted from across the room.

Betty shrugged and left the house in a hurry. She moved around the side of the house where there were less people. Leaning up against the brick siding, she took a few deep breathes before popping the cigarette back in her mouth.

“You have quite the right hook.” Said a man with dark hair and blue eyes so bright she could see them in the dark.

Betty startled and stood up straight, spilling her drink for the second time that night. “Yeah, well the bitch deserved it.”

“I’m not saying she didn’t. She looks like the type of to make the nicest of peoples blood boil.” He took another step towards her and she got a better look at his face. He had a sly knowing smile, like he was the smartest person in the room. His nose was narrow and pointed and his jawline was strong. He was wearing a basic grey t-shirt and dark blue jeans. He smelled like soap, the forest and something that Betty couldn’t place but it made her alert. He smelled dangerous.

“Can I bum one of those?” He asked.

Betty handed him the pack and her lighter. “I’ve never seen you around here, you new in town? A college kid?” She smiled. If she couldn’t bed Archie this guy would do just fine. Tall, dark and handsome was definitely her type.

He shook his head, inhaling the sweet nicotine. “I lived in Nevada most of my life with my mom but my dad needs help with the family business. I’m in Riverdale indefinitely.” He smiled.

“No plans to go to school?” Betty finished her drink and put her cigarette out in the cup.

“Maybe some night classes by no,” he chuckled. “there is no higher education in my future.”

They were silent as Betty kicked the grass and the man smoked. “So listen, I’m not good at small talk so I'm gonna get down to it. I only socialize for one reason.”

“Sex?”

Her eyes widened at his correct assumption. “Well, yeah and I had a possibility earlier this evening but that isn’t going to pan out. So if you’re down, I’m offering you a no strings attached hook up. Interested?”

“You are propositioning a person you just met and whose name you don’t know for a one night stand?” He put his cigarette out on the side house.

“Yeah.” Betty shrugged and shoved her hands into her pockets.

The man nodded. “Okay.”

He took a step towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Their lips met feverishly as he pushed her up towards the side of the house.

He began kissing down her neck.

“I’m Betty, by the way. That way you know what name to scream later.” She chuckled.

He stopped, his eyes flying open at the mentioning of her hame. He parted from her and looked her dead in the eye. “Is your last name Cooper?” He breathed, fear in his tone.

Her brow furrowed. “Yeah, why?”

He pushed away from her like she was made of fire.

“What’s wrong with you?” 

“Betty! Betty!” Kevin came running around the corner. “Jones’ son is here, Jughead, the Alpha’s son!” Kevin stopped abruptly and looked between the two of them, they had both moved into defence mode.

“Hunter!” Jughead growled.

“Dog!” Betty snapped back, putting two and two together. She looked at Kevin. “I left Shadowmoon at home! Go!”

Kevin nodded and took off.

So did Jughead, disappearing into the woods with Betty following close behind. 

Cheryl, who had stepped out to get some air, watched the two shapes sprint past her. Without thinking took off after them.

“Dog!” Betty shouted when she lost him, reaching down to retrieve her knife.

There was a howling in the distance and she turned towards the sound to see Jughead running at her full speed. He pinned her to the ground.

He began smashing her hand against the ground trying to loosen her grip on the knife. “I should have known right when I saw you.” He snarled.

“I guess we are both off our game today.” She kneed him in the groin and he rolled off of her grabbing his testicles. Betty stood lightening fast and stabbed him in the side with the knife.

He screamed in pain but managed to gather enough energy to kick her in the stomach, sending her flying backwards.

“Betty!” Kevin yelled somewhere in the woods.

She slowly sat up and saw Jughead hobbling away, clutching his side, blood trickling down his fingers.

She wanted to go after him but getting Shadowmoon was more important.

“Kev!” She turned towards where she thought she heard his voice come from.

Betty stood and turned when she heard the snapping of a twig. At the same time someone shouted, “Betty, watch out!”

She brace herself for the impact of the seven foot werewolf charging towards her. The thing was on its hind legs and looked like a mix of a man and a wolf, not purely one or the other. Betty’s hands pushed against the wolf’s chest and she rolled to the ground almost doing a reverse somersault, using his momentum against him. Placing her foot on it’s abdomen she kicked and flung the beast into a tree.

She was up in a flash and ran towards him, sinking the blade into the chest of injured creature. She needed Shadowmoon, the gun had a magical property and it was the only thing that could end the life of a werewolf. She drove the knife in many more times to hinder the animal until Kevin arrived.

The werewolf was fighting the pain and slashed at her with it long claws leaving deep gashes along her chest. She was flung many feet and landed with a painful thud on the forest floor.

The beast rose and charged at her, mouth open and snarling, drool dripping from its razor sharp teeth.

“Betty!” Kevin yelled and threw Shadowmoon in her direction.

Betty extended her arm and the gun fell into her hand like her connection to it was magnetic. She pointed it at the wolf and the barrel and symbols glowed red hot. She pulled the trigger. It fired true and the bullet entered the wolf right between the eyes. The creature collapsed on the ground and turned back into the man he was before the curse affected him.

Kevin walked towards Betty and helped her up. “Yikes.” He motioned to the cuts on her chest that were already starting to heal.

“If I’m healing that means Jughead is too. We have to find him before he reaches the Southside." Betty sheathed her knife.

“Can I come?” Cheryl’s timid voice squeaked out.

They both looked at her. “What are you doing here, Cheryl?” Betty asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t know, I saw you chase that guy into the woods and I felt compelled to follow you. If I didn’t you would have been attacked by that thing.” Cheryl pointed out. "I told you to watch out."

Betty sighed. “Fine but keep up and stay out of the way.”

Cheryl nodded.

“Lets follow his blood path.” Betty said, smelling the air.

Being a hunter enhanced some of her senses. Her vision was clearer, her hearing more precise and her sense of smell was heightened. She ran, moved and healed faster than regular people and was far stronger than most.

Betty could smell his blood, it was coppery mixed with a dull meat and wet dog smell. It was what she was smelling on him earlier but she couldn’t place it. Up until that moment she hadn’t been face to face with a werewolf.

She stilled and put her hand up motioning to her companions to stop. She could hear talking. There were three people in the clearing up ahead. They had stopped in front of a rickety old bridge that used to be the main connection between Riverdale and the Southside.

“What are we doing?” Kevin asked, his voice barely a whisper knowing she could hear him.

“I can’t decide if we should go in guns a blazing or be a little more stealthy.” She answered.

“Well, considering Cheryl and I won’t be much help, guns a blazing?” Kevin suggested.

Betty looked at both of them. “Hide.”

They nodded and disappeared into the woods as quietly as possible.

Betty walked towards the men, Shadowmoon in her hand. She could feel it heat up in her hand, the weapon sensing there were werewolves in the area.

She stepped out of the bushes. “Hands up boys.” She said firmly.

Jughead scoffed in annoyance, still holding his side. “You don’t know what you’re doing, wolf slayer.”

“I know your pack is killing people in my town and that is something I cannot abide.” She took a step towards them.

“Lycans never left Riverdale, did you know that? We have a renegade member of our pack and we want him brought to justice just as much as you do.” Jughead reasoned, the other two men stepped in front of him, protecting him. She knew he wasn’t the Alpha, but based on their movements he was the Beta. 

“I know all about your kind, when you phase you have no control over yourselves. You’re killing machines and there are bodies in the morgue to prove it.” She shot back.

“I don’t know what your keepers told you but it’s a load of bullshit. We aren't werewolves, we’re lycans, half man, half beast, we are cognizant when we shift. Your kind has been hunting my kind for centuries thinking we are something we're not. Everything you stand for is built on a lie.” Jughead stood up straighter.

“You’re murders.”

“Funny, that’s how we feel about you.”

Betty took another step towards him.

“You aren’t going to back down are you?” He asked.

“I rarely do.” She leered at him.

He sighed and shrugged. “Fine, I guess we are fighting tonight boys.” His eyes shifted from the bright blue to a glowing yellow. “Tear her apart.”

The two men transformed quickly and it shocked Betty, she had never seen someone phase before. She couldn’t get over the sounds of their bones cracking as they expanded. Their hair grew at an alarming pace and their faces elongated into a snout, fangs replacing their human teeth. They stood up right.

The wolves came at her and she fired her first shot, nailing one of them between the eyes. He crumbled to the ground and she heard Jughead wail. She wasn’t quick enough for her second animal and he tackled her to the ground. She lost her grip on Shadowmoon and it landed at the edge of the woods.

Betty pushed against the creature as she struggled to get a grip on her knife but she wasn’t strong enough. The beast sunk its teeth into her shoulder and Betty was in so much pain she saw white. She released a blood curdling scream.

Cheryl stumbled forward from the woods and grabbed the gun which had landed a few feet away from her.

Betty saw the redhead reach for her families gun and she fought through her pain to reach for her knife. “Cheryl! That gun will not work for you! Get away from here! Run!” The Blossoms already lost a child, she wouldn't allow another. She sunk the blade into the animal up to the hilt.

Cheryl didn't listen. Betty should have suspected as much, before her mental break Cheryl always did what she wanted.

Betty continued to struggle with the wolf. “Toss me the gun!”

The redhead's fingers wrapped around the weapon which came alive her hand.

Betty was beyond confused, only people with hunters blood from her family could use that weapon. Even then, the gun had to react to your touch and it didn't for everyone. She knew an opportunity she saw one and pushed the creatures head higher. “Shoot! Don't worry about aiming, just shoot!” Betty shouted.

Cheryl closed her eyes and fired the glowing pistol. It hit the creature between the eyes, firing true, something it had only ever done for Betty. She pushed the animal off her and stood.

Cheryl’s eyes were wide as she stared at the gun in her trembling hand. “How? How?”

Betty snatched it from her and turned it on Jughead who hadn’t transformed.

“Just like I said, you're a murderer.” There was a morbid smugness in his tone.  

“ _They_  attacked  _me_ , took a good chunk out of me too.” She motioned towards her shoulder.

“Well, you took their lives.” He crossed his arms. “I would say it’s more than fair.” He spat.

“Why didn’t you protect them?” She asked. “You didn’t phase because you know you lose your senses when you change. You're a man that likes control and you must hate every moment you're a beast. You proved my point by not shifting.”

“There is a hierarchy in our group. They died protecting their Beta.” He justified.

“So why haven’t you changed then? Are you afraid to fight me?” She taunted, stepping towards him. Shadowmoon was steady in her hands even though her shoulder was killing her.

“I know you won’t kill me in human form.” He smirked.

“I think you underestimate me, Dog.” She raised the gun in her hand.

“You wouldn’t.” He tried to call her bluff.

“Fuck you, Mutt.” She squeezed the trigger but before she could fire another wolf lunged out of the woods putting itself between her and Jughead. Betty instinctively fired at it.

Jughead was yelling, screaming really as he ran towards the wolf who was already falling to the ground.

She lowered the gun and watched as the animal Jughead hovered over turned into FP Jones, the packs Alpha.

“Dad? Dad!” He shouted shaking his father knowing the gun of hunter never missed and once you were hit, you were dead. Tears were dripping down his face as he looked up at her. “I deserved this? Did I? DID I?” He shouted at her.

Betty took a step away from him clenching her jaw. FP jumped in front of Jughead in wolf form, he was protecting his son when he shouldn’t have been able to. Betty didn’t understand how that could be so. Everything she had ever been taught told her otherwise. She couldn’t help but wonder if Jughead was right and everything she knew was a lie.

She kept retreating until she bumped into Cheryl and Kevin.

Other members of the pack came out of the forest to retrieve their dead. Betty felt a red hot surge of guilt flow through her. She had spent so much time learning to kill, she never actually thought what it would be like to take a life. She supposed she never thought it would matter, she never had a problem killing bad guys.

Now she wasn't sure if that was them or her.

Jughead shot one final look in her direction. “I will see you again wolf slayer and I promise when I do, it won’t be friendly.” His mouth was drawn into a straight line and his eyes were puffy before he disappeared into the woods.

“That was intense.” Kevin remarked.

Betty holstered Shadowmoon and looked at her hands, they were trembling. “It didn’t go quite the way I imagined.” She admitted.

“Why did that gun light up when I touched it?” A wide eyed Cheryl asked.

“I think I need to speak to my mother about out family tree. If you can operate Shadowmoon we share a female relative.” Betty rubbed her face and flinched when her shoulder began to throb.

“Does that mean Jughead is the new Alpha?” Kevin asked, his face being illuminated by the red and blue lights of his father’s police car.

“Yeah, I think it does.” Betty lamented, flinching in pain, removing her jacket to reveal a bloody shoulder from where she was bitten.

“Are you going to turn into one of them now?” Cheryl asked looking at the wound with fascination.

“Hunters can’t be turned. We have something in our blood that won’t allow it.” Betty exhaled. “I gotta go to the hospital.” She admitted.

“I’ll drive you.” Cheryl offered.

“And as always, I’ll clean up the mess.” Kevin said exasperated.

“Thank you for your help tonight. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you.” Betty placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed lovingly.

She slung her arm around Cheryl's shoulder and they slowly moved towards the car to get Betty stitched up.

* * *

 

Betty sat on the metal examination table as Doctor Mark Brown got ready to stitch her up. The Browns had been doctors for generations and were in the know about Riverdale’s werewolf problem. This was the first time Dr. Brown had to put his knowledge to use.

She hissed when he treated her wound with antiseptic. “Can you ease up, doc?” She spat.

“I can let it go untreated and it will take days longer to heal and that’s if you didn’t get a lot of his saliva in the bite. If you did, you can come back in two weeks when it’s infected and I can amputate your arm.” He gave her an annoyed smile. “You know bites don’t heal well or fast, so suck it up Cooper.” The doctor began to get his tools ready.

“Mom, I need to talk to you about a few things.” Betty said flinching as the needle went in.

“It was your first encounter with the wolves, you did a good job.” Alice praised but in a somber way. "There's nothing to worry about." She sat perfectly still in a chair in the corner of the room.

“You told me they lose all their humanity when they phase but FP knew Jughead was his son, he saved him.”

“Maybe it was pack mentality.” Alice reasoned.

“The wolves attacked me, they had no interest in hurting each other or Cheryl, just me.” Betty glared at her mother. "Jughead told me they were Lycans."

"Lycans and werewolves are the same thing."

"Werewolves are animals that don't have control but Lycans are half man, half wolf. They have control over when and how they phase and they can control their actions when they do. That makes more sense then werewolves. He told me they have a renegade member of the pack who is committing the murders." Betty felt rage building up inside of her. "We should be working with them to hunt the actual killer. Is this news to you or did you know they weren't wolves?"

Alice rolled her eyes. “So, I may have told a few fibs to make the job easier for you.”

Betty’s mouth dropped open. “Mom, that’s not a fib, that’s the difference between protection and murder.”

“They are murders, Betty! Explain to that girl in the waiting room why she doesn’t have a brother anymore. Or why the Mason’s don’t have a son. They were innocent!” Alice shouted at her daughter.

“And from the sounds of it so were FP and the two other men I killed tonight.” Betty laughed through a scoff. “Not to mention the wolf Cheryl killed, with Shadowmoon. You wanna explain that to me?” Betty’s hand gripped the table, denting it.

Alice shrugged. “The Blossom family is as old as ours, its possible hunter blood runs through her veins.”

“Not possible, she picked up the gun, fired it and it shot true. It won’t even do that for you mother.” Betty cocked an eyebrow.  

Dr. Brown finished putting gauze over the wound. "You're just like new." He quipped.

"Thanks doc." She jumped off the table. "Tomorrow, I’m going to the Southside and I’m working this out.”

“They will kill you.” Alice grabbed her arm and squeezed as hard as she could.

Betty looked down at her mothers hand and tore her arm away. “Maybe I deserve it. Maybe you should have prepared me properly. Most importantly, you should have learned who I am and that I would never would have agreed to go along with this. I took an oath to protect this town but if I keep going the way I'm going, who is going to protect them from me?” She glowered at her mother who looked so much like her she could have been a clone. “I’m going to the Southside and you can’t stop me.”

She grabbed her torn jacket and headed it out to the waiting room motioning for Cheryl to follow.

* * *

Jughead stood in front of his fathers trailer and looked out over his community. The faces were somber and the rage that coursed through his veins was unlike anything he had ever felt.

“I want to blame this all on the hunter but I can’t.” He began and people started to whisper amongst themselves. “The reason she is active is because someone in our community has gone rouge. This person is killing people in the community our kind have called home for decades.”

Jughead sighed and looked at the pyres beside him. He looked at his fathers unmoving face and tried to think of a time he looked that peaceful.  

"We have to find the renegade and put him down. This kind of behaviour will not stand and he will be made an example of. If you agree with me on this, we should put together a search party and nip this in the bud right away. We've let it go on for far too long." He looked out over his people. "We owe it to ourselves and Riverdale to make sure this place is safe for everyone."  

He paused and decided how to talk about Betty. “As for the hunter, I will pick a handful of you and we will create a search party of our own.  We need to fight back against the lies and propaganda the slayers have spread for decades to end our kind and satisfy their bloodlust.  She killed four of us in cold blood tonight and we need to hit her back and hit hard. She threatens our entire way of life."

He was silent as he looked over the pack that was now his. He could see the fear in their eyes. These were good people with family, lives and jobs who just happened to be afflicted with a curse. They didn’t deserve the prosecution they were facing.

“Tonight we put our dead to rest and mourn. Let’s tell stories of the people we lost and continue to tell those stories so they are never forgotten.” He swallowed hard as his eyes went dark. “But tomorrow this ends. Tomorrow we kill Betty Cooper.”


	2. Romeo and Juliet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited this myself so there will be errors. 
> 
> I'm sorry it's so long and this is how I saw it going and I'm sorry about that too.

Betty drove her beat up Ford Aspire towards Jughead Jones’ trailer. It was the farthest lot in the trailer park and she was immediately regretting her decision to go there. She stuck out like a sore thumb and the glares she was receiving made her shift uncomfortably.

 

She parked in front of his trailer which was kept in better shape than she was expecting. There was even a flower garden by the front steps.

 

She made her way to the front door, took a deep breath and knocked three times. This was the right thing to do she kept telling herself. She would explain that he was right and she had been lied to by her mother for most of her life. This would be okay, everything was going to be fine.

 

The door flew up and a shirtless, muscular Jughead stood on the other side. His hair was wet and his skin glistened, still not fully dry. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans that hung off his hips and he was barefoot.

 

A look of shock swept his face for a moment before he regained control and his expression smoothed. He stared at her before his eyes darted to something by the door frame that Betty couldn’t see.

 

She took another deep breath and began to speak. “Jughead, I just want to say-”

 

She was cut off when he grabbed her by the throat and threw her into his home, slamming the door behind him. Betty gathered herself just in time to see Jughead coming at her with a baseball bat. She raised her arm to block the blow and her bone broke on impact. She screamed in agony and punched him in the side where she had stabbed him the day before. He stumbled away from her and she took the time to quickly maneuver her jacket into a sling. She knew her arm would be healed in 20 minutes but she didn’t have 20 minutes.

 

She rushed at him ducking past the bat and stepping on his bare foot with her hard boots. He growled in pain and lifted the bat to bring it down on her again.

 

Betty rolled her eyes that he wasn’t changing his pattern and dodged the assault that was meant for her and instead punched him in the balls and then in the throat. He dropped the weapon as one hand clutched his testicles and the other his neck.

 

She grabbed the bat and moved into the living room rolling it under the couch. She focused on her sling to make it more secure so her bone would set correctly and she wouldn't have to re-break it later. She watched as he stood, breathing heavily, leering at her as he went over his options.

 

“I didn’t come here to fight, Jughead. I have no ill will today. Promise.” Betty said waiting for him to make his move. She knew the fight wasn’t over, he had too much anger for it to be over. He charged at her again.

 

Betty fumbled to grab Shadowmoon and it fell to the floor when he tackled her to the ground, splintering his coffee table in the process. He straddled her, pushing all his weight on her body as he wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed as hard as he could.

 

Betty’s eyes widened while her body was deprived of air and she began attacking him as well as she could. She started looking around her and saw her gun but it was just out of her reach.

 

Her body was starting to convulse and the edges of her vision blackened as she managed to wrap her fingers around the grip and move it in Jughead’s direction. She placed it right by his ear and pulled the trigger.

 

He let go of her and pressed his palm over his ear. “Mother fucker!” He screamed standing up, Betty followed.

 

“Jesus Jughead, can you please stop! My mom told me, she confirmed what you said.” Betty rubbed her neck as she gasped for air while Jughead tried to control his breathing, wiping away the blood trickling from his ear. “Everything I was taught was a lie and I know it doesn’t justify anything I did and I can’t take it back but I’m so sorry about your dad.” She looked up at him as she put Shadowmoon away and plopped down on the couch.

 

His jaw was clenched and he had tears in his eyes as he left the room. She could hear him in the kitchen and she braced herself for a new assault, possibly with a kitchen knife. Instead he came back with two beers and handed her one. He sat down in a chair adjacent from her.

 

They sat in silence while they finished their beers. “So I’m assuming you came here for a reason or did you just come to say you were sorry?”

 

“We still have a problem.” Betty stated plainly.

 

“And what’s that?” Jughead cocked an eyebrow.

 

“We still have a rouge werewolf on the loose killing citizens of this town and I think we should team up and stop it.” Betty looked away from him suddenly feeling self-conscious.

 

“For the last time we’re lycans, not werewolves.” Jughead put his bottle down on an end table and angled his body towards her. “And what makes you think I would want or need your help?” He asked.

 

“Because if I haven’t caught him and you haven’t caught him that means he’s a crafty little fucker. He knows how your pack thinks, how you move and how to avoid you. Maybe a little hunter know how is exactly what you need.” She grinned.

 

Jughead was silent for a long time before he took a deep breath in and stood. “Fine, under two conditions.”

 

“Which are?” Betty stood and moaned in pain knowing she was going to have to get Dr. Brown to re-break her arm later.

 

“We don’t talk about anything other than putting him down and you buy me a new coffee table.”

 

“Well, in all fairness you pushed me into the coffee table.” Betty shrugged.

 

“You killed my father last night.” His voice was dead pan.

 

“So do you like something sturdy like oak, you got a lot of oak in here or is Ikea shit cool cause I work at Piggly Wiggly and I’m poor as fuck.” Betty’s eyes widened and she grinned awkwardly.

 

Jughead rolled his eyes. “Meet me here tomorrow at 7 with some sort of strategy. Until then get the fuck out of my trailer.”

 

“Cool beans.” She hurried out and got into her car feeling good about the whole interaction.

 

Betty went to see Dr. Brown while simultaniously getting drunk to dull the pain of him professionally re-breaking her arm. After that she went to Kevin’s with Cheryl and played video games until Betty was drunk enough that the pain in her arm was gone and she no longer cared about how tomorrow was going to go.

 

She walked herself home, stumbling as she went, dreaming of her soft, never made bed. She walked the three flights it took to get to her apartment and clumsily got the keys into the lock. She kicked off her shoes and went to her kitchen while checking her bank balance with the hopes that she had enough to order a pizza.

 

“Where were you?” Alice’s voice rang out.

 

Betty jumped, surprised for the first time in a long time, her senses dulled by 62oz of rum. “Fuck me!” Betty clutched her chest. “What are you doing here?”

 

“You were going to the Southside today, I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Alice stood on her knock off Jimmy Choo’s and sauntered towards her daughter with a self satisfied smile on her face.

 

“I’m fine.” Betty shrugged. “Do you have like forty bucks? I want to order pizza.” Betty burped talking off her jacket.

 

Alice rolled her eyes and fished her wallet out of her purse. “Betty whatever you are doing with this boy is going to get you killed.” She warned.

 

“Well, at least I won’t have to have these conversations with you anymore.” Betty spat.

 

“Betty!” Alice exclaimed taking two crisp one hundred dollar bills out of her wallet.

 

“You made me believe something that wasn’t true and now I have blood on my hands, innocent blood.” She sneered and took a step towards her mother snatching the bills from her hand. “Now get the fuck out of my apartment.”

 

Alice nodded curtly and gathered her things, heading for the door. She stopped for a moment and opened her mouth to say something but didn’t and instead left quietly.

* * *

Betty drove to the Southside the next evening with a knot in her stomach. She knew this could be a trap, that Jughead just planned to kill her. She had to believe he wanted this murderer brought to justice just as much as she did. 

 

She parked outside of his trailer and retrieved the coffee table she acquired for him from her car. She knocked on his door which he answered promptly. 

 

“You brought me a table.” He said with a tone of shock. 

 

“It was a part of the deal.” She stated as she slipped past him and placed it where his old one used to be. 

 

“Where did you get it?” He asked. 

 

“I might have stolen it from Veronica Lodge’s house but they’ll never be able to prove it.” She smirked. 

 

“Betty!” He reprimanded. “What if they come here looking for it?” He asked. 

 

She rolled her eyes. “Please, they’ll take a statement and then the sheriff will throw it out cause my family and their family are tight.” She raised her eyebrows. 

 

“Is that why you can kill innocent people and get away with it?” He crossed his arms. 

 

Betty’s cheeks flushed. “I can just take it back if you’re that opposed to it.” 

 

“Naw, it’s a nice table.” A grin crossed his face for a second before he moved over to his kitchen table. “I order pizza for dinner.” He told her sitting down. 

 

“I had pizza last night.” She said taking a seat opposite him. 

 

“We’re having pizza.” Jughead finalized rolling a map of Riverdale over his table and they got to work. 

 

“We tracked his scent to Sweetwater River and then it disappears.” Jughead said finishing his third beer. 

 

“He’s crossing it.” Betty said firmly. “Which means he’s living on the island.” 

 

“I’ve been over there so many times and waited for him but he’s not coming.” Jughead rubbed his face. 

 

“Do you recognize his scent?” She asked 

 

Confusion swept his face. “I feel like I do, like I smelled it when I was much younger but not for some time.” 

 

“Can you think of anyone who left the pack?” She asked. 

 

“We’ve had about a dozen families come and go. I mean I could make a list but I don’t know how much help it would be. There was this one kid, I can’t remember his name but it was unusual and he was weird. I don’t know if it would make a difference if I did remember him. He probably looks different now.” He tongue poked out and ran along his top lip as he thought. “What can we do to draw him out?” 

 

Betty bit her fingernail as her mind raced. “We can throw a party there.” She mumbled. 

 

“What?” Jughead rubbed his eyes before looking at her. 

 

“People in this town think that island is haunted. We can throw some sort of themed part. Halloween. It’s like three weeks away.” 

 

“Okay but why three weeks.” 

 

“Because it’s gonna take you at least three weeks to weasel your way into Veronica Lodge’s inner circle and persuade her to throw this party.” 

 

“Why a party?” 

 

“Imagine putting every person in Riverdale so close to where he’s hiding out? All those people would muffle our scent. He won’t be able to resist if I think he’s as crazy as he is.” Betty smiled and bit her lip. “It’ll smoke him out.” 

 

“Why do I need to make nice with Veronica Lodge? Can’t we just throw our own party?” He asked. 

 

“No one knows who you are and everyone hates me.” Betty reasoned. “Everyone and I mean everyone will come to a Veronica Lodge party if they think it’ll be legendary enough. This town has serious case of FOMO even with a murderer on the loose.” 

 

“Okay, I can do this. We’ll be having a having this party in about a week and a half.” He stood confidently, clearing the table. 

 

“What makes you think you can do this in week and a half?” Betty questioned turning to look at him. 

 

Jughead put the dishes in the sink and turned, lifting his shirt exposing an exquisite six pack. “I figure that’ll do it, girls seem to like that.” He stated smugly. 

 

Betty stifled a laugh and finished her beer. “Yep, that’ll do it.” She stood and grabbed her jacket. “Give me your phone.” 

 

He took his phone out of his back pocket and tossed it to her. “This is my number, text me if you need anything.” She moved towards his door and opened it. “I’ll see you in a week and a half Jones, good luck.” She saluted and stepped out into the cool night air. 

 

She walked to her car and drove all the way home gripping the steering wheel tightly. Betty parked in front of her apartment and let out a shaky breath. She thought about Jughead’s laugh, the way he stuck out his tongue when he concentrated, the way his body looked under his henley. She brought a hand up to her mouth and could still feel the ghost of his lips on hers. 

 

She shook her head. “Get yourself together Cooper.” She exited her car and went upstairs. 

* * *

Over the next couple of days Betty saw Jughead all over town with Veronica. She wasn’t sure what kind of charm he unleashed to get her to get her to giggle so often. She tried to ignore the feelings of jealously that seemed to consume her every time she saw them together and went about her business.

 

Exactly a week after she and Jughead had come up with their plan, Betty arrived home from a stressful shift at the Piggly Wiggly. Even before she reached her floor she knew something was wrong.

 

She cautiously ascended the stairs as her phone started to buzz. It was Jughead and she placed the device to her ear. “Hello.” She nearly whispered.

 

“Did you get a delivery?” He asked without any pleasantries.

 

Betty reached her floor and saw a square package sitting in front of her apartment door. “It would appear that I did.”

 

“It smells like-”

 

Betty cut him off. “Death.” She stood in front of the box and asked herself if she should open it or call the sheriff so she would have a witness. Curiosity got the better of her. “Have you opened yours?” She asked him picking up the box and going inside.

 

“No, I don’t know what to do.” He admitted. She could hear his heavy boots pacing the unstable flooring in his trailer.

 

Betty placed the package on her dining room table and headed to her kitchen to retrieve a knife. “I’m going to open mine.”

 

“We’ll do it together then.” He said.

 

Betty could hear him place his phone down and put it on speaker, she did the same. She took the knife in hand and realized only then that she was shaking. She put the knife down, threw some ice into a glass and filled it with vodka, chugging it.

 

“Are you ready?” He asked.

 

“Yeah.” She croaked out.

 

She slowly ran the edge of the knife along the heavy packing tape that sealed the box. When the lid popped open she nearly gagged at the smell. She was thankful that whatever was in the box was freshly dead.

 

She pushed the lid open and untied the twist tie that sealed the plastic bag shut. There was blood all over it. Betty didn’t need to fully open the bag to know what was inside. She gasped bringing her hand to her mouth, tuffs of red hair sticking up in every direction while Archie’s dead eyes stared without focus in her direction.

 

“It’s a head.” She managed to say. “Jughead, what are you looking at?” She said when he hadn’t said anything.

 

“She’s…” He stuttered. “I saw her last night.”

 

“What was she to you?” Betty asked.

 

“Toni and I dated for years when we were teenagers.” Jughead was breathing heavily. “We were just friends now but…”

 

“Archie was my…” Fuck buddy? It seemed inappropriate to say considering whatever head Jughead was looking at belonged to someone he used to love.

 

“This means he knows we’re coming for him.” Jughead stated and he paused for a long time. “What should I do?” He asked her.

 

“I’m gonna call the sheriff, wait till he’s there and then come to my place when he comes to investigate Archie.” Betty instructed. “We’ll discuss next steps.”

 

Jughead hung up without agreeing and Betty called Sheirff Keller right away. She spent three hours in her apartment trying to do anything but think about the severed head of her former crush and lover sitting on her table.

 

She drank, watched whatever was on TV and forced herself to focus on it. Eventually she sat in the hallway to get away from the smell. When everyone arrived it took two hours to properly photograph the scene, take in all the information Betty had to give and leave her apartment, taking Archie with them.

 

“What are we going to do?” Jughead asked sitting on her couch, his knee bouncing.

 

“Should we change the plan? I mean, he is a psychopath, will he be able to resist even if he knows we’re baiting him?” Betty asked walking to her kitchen grabbing another glass. “Are you a bourbon or vodka person?” She asked.

 

“Bourbon.” He said. “I’ll make sure we get the word out and Veronica has this party in two days because it seems like he is just going to get worse.”

 

She handed him the glass and sighed. “I wondered if he even tried to go after Kevin.” Betty said.

 

“What?” His brow furrowed.

 

“Why go after Archie? I mean, I cared about him, we slept together, we liked each other but…” Betty bit her lip. “Kevin is the only person I love. Isn’t that fucked up? That he grasped at straws looking for anyone to hurt me with.”

 

Jughead nodded slowly. “Hunters naturally don’t have close relationships.”

 

“But what if I want close relationships? What if I want to kiss a boy and not worry about his fucking head ending up in a box outside my door? What if I want to have friends and not worry about them being killed by a deranged wolf who wants to kill the people I love? What if I want to love more than one person?”

 

Jughead shrugged. “It’s the plight of the hunter. A plight I never much thought about till tonight.”

 

Betty sighed. “Whatever, I’m getting drunk. You’re welcome to stay if you’d like.” She passed him and flopped down on her couch.

 

Jughead looked down at his bourbon and watched the ice melt leaving swirls in the brown liquid. He thought about his empty trailer and couldn’t think of a single reason to go home.

 

After many drinks they found themselves in deep conversation.

 

“That was the first night you’ve ever fought?” Jughead asked. Betty figured he’d be more impressed if the night didn’t end in the death of his father.

 

She nodded finishing her drink. “Yep. There has never been a reason for me to fight until the ripper emerged.” She saw his drink was running low and picked it up running to the kitchen to refill it.

 

“Your mother taught you well I suppose.” Jughead said as she returned with two full glasses and two fresh bottles.

 

“She taught me how to weld my body but she failed me in a lot of ways as well.” She shook her head and took another drink.

 

Jughead took a deep breath in and sighed. “I want to blame you for his death and I do but people do crazy things when they are fed a lie. History is packed with cases like that.”

 

“But it doesn’t change the fact that I did it. Nothing ever will.” She rubbed her face and deflated into the couch. Betty stared at a knot in the wood of her floor as she relived all the things that happened that night, her hair falling in front of her face.

 

When she came out of her distraction Jughead was looking at her. His lips parted and his eyes searching her face. Betty only had a second to assume what he was thinking before he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

 

It was light at first before he deepened it, placing his hand on the back of her neck.

 

She broke the kiss. “What are you doing?” She asked out of breath.

 

Jughead leaned forward. “I don’t know.” He moved so most of his body was over hers and he looked down at her. “Do you want me to leave?”

 

She stared up into his blue eyes feeling the attraction she had to him the night they met. “This can’t mean anything. We won’t work. We can’t work.” She warned.

 

“I know but can’t we pretend like it could just for tonight?” He proposed as he lowered his lips to hers and continued the kiss. It deepened instantly as Betty wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body flush against hers.

 

Their mouths moved frantically against each other like they were worried they would be caught, like they knew they were doing something they shouldn’t have been doing. They both needed this, like if they slept together whatever sadness that was in them would disappear. 

 

Jughead wrapped one arm around her waist and used the other to push them upright and standing. He moved them into her bedroom.

 

Their clothes were discarded quickly and they crawled onto her small double bed.

 

He knelt in front of her, his large erection bobbing in front of him. “I need to take the lead on this one. It’s the alpha in me. I have to.” He growled the last part and for a moment his eyes flashed yellow.

 

Betty’s heart started to race and every instinct in her body told her not to do this but the idea of letting go excited her.

 

So she let go.

 

“Okay.” She agreed beginning to squirm on the bed in anticipation of his touch.

 

Jughead leaned forward his hands skimming her thighs, hips and waist before one hand moved up to her chest and between her breasts finally gripping her throat.

 

“Is this okay?” He asked her.

 

She had never had sex like this before. No one had ever asked her what she wanted, she always just got whatever she wanted from her partners and bailed. She had always been in control and Jughead’s confident authority made her wetter then she ever had been.

 

She nodded.

 

“Can you reach my thighs?” He inquired.

 

She reached out and when she could she nodded again.

 

“Punch me there if it becomes too much for you.” He told her before grabbing a pillow near her head and putting it under her hips before elongating his arm and applying pressure around her neck.

 

Betty could still breathe but struggled for each breath as a slight pressure built behind her eyes. It was nothing she couldn’t handle and when he thrusted into her she let out a strangled cry as he filled her, like they were made for each other.

 

Jughead rolled his hips pulling in and out of her slowly, the rhythm teasing but so satisfying she didn’t want to tell him to go faster. He created his own tempo, slowly increasing his speed causing her lower abdomen to contract as he placed more pressure on her neck.

 

The alarms went off in her head. “He’s trying to kill you!” Her instincts screamed over and over. She ignored them as a heat as strong as fire spread through her body as he thrusted faster and squeezed her throat harder.

 

Just as she was about to punch him, darkness tugging at the corners of her vision he let go and she sucked in a lung full of fresh air as her orgasm overtook her at the same time. The sensations together was nothing like she had ever felt and her mind went blank as she experienced the most intense orgasm she had ever had, her body trembling.

 

When reality settled back in, Jughead was still inside her, on all fours, nail marks cut deep into her mattress. They locked eyes and Betty laughed. “Jesus, Jones.” She complimented as he rolled off of her. “That was crazy.”

 

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” He looked over and smirked. “It’s not so bad to give up control every once in a while is it?” He asked her.

 

“Speak for yourself Mr. I’m the Alpha.” She teased.

 

They were both silent for a few moments. “Are you going to stay?” Betty asked turning over on her side.

 

“I can if you want me to.” He said softly with a yawn.

 

“I want you to.” She whispered back as she maneuvered herself under the blankets and closed her eyes, sleep taking her instantly.

 

Jughead was gone when she woke up.

* * *

 

 

Two days later she found a pamphlet on her car for a Halloween party to honour Archie Andrews on Riverdale Island thrown by Veronica Lodge. It would be that Friday and it was BYOB.

 

Betty received a text two days later from Jughead telling her to bring camping gear, food and whatever else she needed to the party. She assumed he meant weapons, she would only bring her knife and Shadowmoon, she knew she needed nothing else.

 

She trekked out to Riverdale Island and took the boat that was waiting for her there. It was curtesy of Veronica Lodge to ensure all of her guests had a wonderful time.

 

Betty made her way to the camp site and saw a small gathering of people just as the sun started to go down. She walked closer only seeing Jughead when he turned and obstructed the sun, his features just visible. He saw her and did something that Betty didn’t expect, he smiled and made his way over to her.

 

“You made it!” He grinned before taking in what she had with her. “And you brought a sleeping bag and 24 case of beer.” He said through gritted teeth.

 

“There is a knife in my boot and my gun is in the back of my pants, the barrel is right down my butt crack. Its super uncomfortable.” She informed cracking open a beer.

 

“This is supposed to be a stake out. Our goal is to kill someone tonight and all you brought was a sleeping bag, beer, a knife and a gun. Haven’t you ever read Nancy Drew?” He asked.

 

She burped. “What the fuck is Nancy Drew?” She shrugged. “And if you plan on sleeping tonight you clearly aren’t interested in getting this guy as much as I am. Beer keeps me awake.”

 

“You are impossible.” He said with a smile.

 

Neither of the mentioned the night they spent together. Betty figured they could discuss their relationship once all of this was over.

 

“Well, go off and party with Veronica, she looks like a great time.” Betty said sarcastically.

 

He looked back at the brunette surrounded by her mindless army. “I can’t, she’s the worst.”

 

Betty smiled. “Come and pull up a chair and hang out with me, Cheryl and Kevin.” She offered. “You know what I always say? If you have nothing nice to say come sit near me.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

 

“That’s a Steel Magnolias quote.” Jughead said going to grab his things.

 

Betty laughed at his knowledge of Steel Magnolias and took a seat waiting for the sun to go down and the hunt to start.

* * *

 

“We probably shouldn’t be drinking.” Jughead stated as he tried to smack Betty open hands but was too slow. Her reflexes just as fast as his.

 

“You know we need to drink much more than this to get even remotely tipsy.” Betty said putting her seventh beer bottle back into the box.

 

“You know you get those reflexes from my kind right?” He said grabbing a beer.

 

“What?” She asked.

 

“Your mother didn’t tell you?” He inquired.

 

Betty shook her head.

 

“One of my kind decided whatever we were, werewolves, lycans were was an abomination and needed to wiped out. He started The Circle of Hunters and that’s where you get all your fancy healing and fighting powers from.” He finished half the beer.

 

“I didn’t know that. Does that mean we’re related?” She asked with a grimace.

 

“I really hope not.” He teased.

 

Shortly after that Cheryl and Kevin showed up and the four of them started playing twenty questions.

 

“Okay it’s my turn. Betty, what’s your favorite color?” Kevin asked.

 

“Faded denim.” She answered.

 

“Jughead, what’s your favorite song?” She asked him.

 

He rubbed his eyebrow. “Probably “Oh-La-La” by The Faces.”

 

“Really? I thought for sure it would be “Werewolves of London.” She giggled.

 

“Do you have to ruin every moment?” He chided. “Kevin, if you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?” He asked.

 

“Chicken parm.” He turned to Cheryl. “If you could change anything about yourself what would be?”

 

Cheryl’s eyes went dark. She hadn’t stopped leering at Jughead since they sat down. They were all trying to ignore it but there was tension in the air.

 

“I wish I would have known I was a hunter sooner, so I could have been able to protect my brother and kill the monster that took his life.” Her jaw clenched and they sat in silence.

 

“Cheryl, it’s your turn to ask a question.” Kevin reminded her.

 

“Betty, boxers or briefs?”

 

“Boxer briefs.” She said quickly.

 

“Ah, you’re a boxer briefs kind of girl, make sense why you wanted to get me naked the night we met.” Jughead wiggled his eyebrows.

 

“Do you have to ruin every moment?” Betty teased. “And I did get you naked.” She smirked and cocked an eyebrow while Kevin choked on his beer.

 

Before he could ask her what happened Veronica skipped over to them.

 

“Oh Juggie!” Veronica sang. “Lets go dance!”

 

“I can’t.” Jughead said with a panicked look on his face.

 

“Why not?” She questioned with her hands on her hips.

 

“Uh, because my legs are broken.”

 

“You’re legs broken? I watched walk to where you’re sitting right now.”

 

“No, Betty carried me.” He lied.

 

Veronica looked over at Betty with what could only be described as stank face. “You carried him here?”

 

Betty nodded slowly. “Yep, I do that P90X shit. I thought it was an airplane, but nope, exercise.”

 

“Whatever.” Veronica turned, stomping back to the party.

 

Betty looked over at Jughead. “Juggie?” She questioned with a grin.

 

“It turns out she’s a nickname kind of girl.” He shrugged and finished his beer.

 

“How did you earn yourself that one?” Betty nudged him with her shoulder.

 

“You don't want to know.” He shuddered slightly and started peeling off the label from the bottle.

 

“I really do.”

 

“No, you don’t.”

 

“Tell me.” She prodded.

 

“No.”

 

“Jughead!” She exclaimed in disbelief. “Just tell me.”

 

“I gave her a pedicure with no shirt on.” He blurted out.

 

A huge smile spread across her face before she rolled over and started laughing uncontrollably.

 

“Can you not laugh at me please?” Jughead shook his head annoyed.

 

“I’m sorry. I just never…” She trailed off giggling again. “I mean I know you’re good with your hands but I never expected in that way.”

 

“Please stop.” He said standing.

 

“My toes are looking a little rough, you think you can help me out?” Her laughter died down a bit as she wiped a tear from her eye.

 

“Let’s go out and patrol.” He said holding out his hand to her.

 

She took it and stood, the humour leaving her eyes as she stared at him. “Are you ready to do what we need to do if we find him?” She asked.

 

He nodded. “More than ready. I want this bloodshed to stop.”

 

“Alright,” Betty looked over at Kevin and Cheryl. “If this goes tits up I’ll text you.” Her two friends nodded while she turned back to Jughead. “Lets go.” She stated.

 

They stalked through the woods together, staying light on their feet and staying alert for any movement that wasn’t their own.

 

“Are you getting anything?” Jughead asked her.

 

“No, you?”

 

He shook his head. “We are moving down wind which means he’ll smell us coming and why we can’t smell him.”

 

“Let’s move faster then.” Betty suggested breaking into a jog. They ran until they found a clearing. She stopped and looked up towards the moon that illuminated her face. She breathed in deep. “I smell fire.” She stated looking over at Jughead.

 

He was staring at her, his lips slightly agape as he moved toward her. “I do wish that things could be different.” He told her, stoping just in front of her, towering over her small frame.

 

“Is this the time to be discussing this?” She asked trying to break eye contact with him but couldn’t.

 

“Remember how easy it was the night that we met?” He brushed a stray hair away from her face. “I had never seen a girl quite like you before, the blood on your knuckles, the flush in your cheeks from the fight, you were so beautiful.”

 

“Why are you doing this?” She asked.

 

“I’ve had so little of the things that I want and in a few moments everything is going to change. Can we just pretend?”

 

“Jug?” She whispered, her fingers delicately running up and down his muscular arm.

 

“Do you realize we could die tonight?” He said moving her backwards, falling into shadows.

 

“We can die at anytime, tonight’s no different.” She whispered as her back hit a tree. “There is no guarantee we’ll find him.”

 

He cupped her jaw. “I know you can smell him just as much as I can, we are going to fight him and soon so let’s give in even if it’s just for a moment.”

 

His lips pushed into hers roughly, the bark of the tree cutting into her skin as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He still smelt like soap, the forest and what he was, the thing Betty couldn’t place the first time they meet. He smelled like a Lycan, like something other worldly.

 

Her heart was racing now. The jog got it pumping and the idea of a fight excited her but she felt electric pressed up against him, his hands cradling her face.

 

“God, I wish things could be different.” He breathed running his thumb along her bottom lip.

 

“I guess we are a little like Romeo and Juliet.” She chuckled softly as her hands cupped his.

 

“But we all know how that story ends.” He said.

 

There was a sadness in his eyes she hadn’t expected to see and it scared her. “What is that supposed mean?” Her brow furrowed.

 

The snap of a branch to her right brought them both of their moment. Betty reached down to get her knife and Jughead’s eyes started to glow.

 

Betty saw the glowing eyes of the other lycan in the shadows as she and Jughead backed into the clearing, moonlight behind her. Shadowmoon burning at her back.

 

Jughead stood straight, his eyes squinting to make out the figure approaching them. “Joaquin?”

 

“You remember me brother?” The man said emerging from the shadows. He had dark hair, sharp bone structure and shallow cheeks. He was tall, lean and ropey, the type of person who only ate to stay alive. 

 

“Yeah, I remember you. Setting fires, killing animals just for fun.” Jughead was starting to crouch again, preparing for a fight. “Why did you come back here, Joaquin?”

 

“To have a little fun in my home town.” He smirked and started to circle the clearing. “They call me the Vampire of Boston back in the city but I gotta say I like the Riverdale Ripper much better.”

 

“Why are you killing people?” Betty asked.

 

“She speaks!” He exclaimed clasping his hands together in delight. “You’re so much more fun to kill when I can hear the pain I’m causing. The silent ones are such a bore.”

 

“You didn’t answer her question.” Jughead spat.

 

“I never liked your father’s ‘keep the peace’ type of leadership.” He paused. “My condolences by the way.” He swallowed and continued. “We are better than humans and we should do with them as we please.”

 

“We are just another species, no better, no worse.” Jughead said.

 

“Have you ever fought a human before?” Joaquin asked.

 

Jughead looked over at Betty for a moment and then back to the man before them.

 

“No, no, the hunter line isn’t human. They are watered down hybrids, I mean a real human. How weak they are? Like rag dolls under our force, their bones break like thin ice.” He closed his eyes and breathed in like he was reliving the murders and revelling in them. “Its close to godliness and in comparison to them that’s exactly what we are. Their lives mean nothing. They are mine to take.”

 

“Okay, enough of this manifesto bullshit.” Betty stated twirling the knife around in her hands. “We’re here to kill you dude, there’s a party going on and I still have like seven beers to drink so let’s get this over with.” She moved into an attack stance. Out of her periphery she could see Jughead starting to remove his clothes preparing for the change.

 

Joaquin shucked off his jacket. “I love how you two think that you’ll be different from any other person I’ve killed.” He took off his shirt displaying a sickly muscular body. “I’m gonna rip your spine right out of your body and drink your bone marrow.” He spat at her.

 

Betty’s eyes went wide and he looked over at Jughead who was in mid transformation. “Jesus, hashtag goals, am I right?” She grinned.

 

Even as he was changing she could see his eyes roll as she charged at her enemy. She ran at full speed as Joaquin changed rapidly ready for her attack and he swiped at where her head should have been but Betty dropped to her knees and skid along side him, sinking her knife deep into his leg dragging it along with her as she moved. 

 

He roared in agony and was distracted long enough for Jughead, now full lycan, to dig his teeth into Joaquin’s neck. Betty stood up as fast as she could and turned to assess the situation. Joaquin had dug his nails into Jughead’s side as they growled as each other and rolled around like dogs on the ground.

 

She watched the two of them, Jughead was dark black and had a soft looking fur that shined in the moonlight. Joaquin on the other hand had coarse, dull, grey fur that made him look like the menacing murderer he was.

 

Betty gripped her knife and ran towards the two of them pulling her arm back. Jughead saw her coming and flipped Joaquin to meet her knife. She lodged it between to ribs and twisted the knife, wiggling it around as much as she could while Jughead attacked the neck again.

 

Joaquin reached back and knocked Betty away, leaving deep gashes against her stomach and sending her flying a few feet, knocking the wind out of her.

 

He got his teeth into Jughead’s side while they swiped at each other with their claws. Betty stood, wincing at her wounds but ignoring them as she headed back towards the two animals. She jumped and grabbed on to Joaquin’s coarse fur and held on for dear life as she pulled her knife out of him and sunk it into his back between two lower vertebras. He dropped to the ground and reached for the knife, pulling it out and discarding it while Betty scrambled away from them. She reached behind her and gripped Shadowmoon pointing it in Joaquin’s direction.

 

Jughead had grabbed Joaquin by the scruff of his neck, his legs dangling uselessly beneath him, she had severed his spinal cord. Jughead nails were digging into the other lycans flesh, a sickly gargling sound was a result of the action. Shadowmoon began to glow and Betty fired, the bullet lodging in between his eyes as Jughead’s claw wrapped around his spine and ripped it right out of his body.

 

Jughead let go and Joaquin hit the ground with a nauseating splat.

 

Betty fell back on the ground and took some deep breaths in, the adrenaline wearing off and pain starting to take over. She looked down at her stomach which was already starting to heal and stood up. She looked over at Jughead who had changed back and was now naked. His wounds were healing too and she looked away to give him privacy as he dressed.

 

“So that was pretty awesome!” Betty said looking at the ground for her knife. “I mean we make a good team. Do you think vampires are real? Like do you think they have renegade vamps? Or even good vegetarian vampires like that coiffed haired pretty boy from those Twilight flicks.” She looked under a bush for her knife but it wasn’t there. “Like we could rent out our services, Jones and Cooper: Monster Hunters. They would make a movie about us. I’d be played by Jennifer Lawrence and a Hemsworth brother could play you. What do you say?” She asked turning to look at him with a smile assuming he would be dressed by now.

 

But Jughead wasn’t in a joking mood. 

 

He was rushing toward her, his arm was all the way back before thrusting it forward, her knife in hand, driving it into her heart. He was moving too fast for her too do anything, to stop him. He hit her with such force her arms flew forward and the gun exited her hand landing somewhere behind him. He had hit her so hard the knife was in her deeper than the hilt and her skin stretched and popped painfully when he took it out. He stabbed her again in the lung so deephe was cutting his fingers on the tip of the knife that stuck out of her back while he tried to support her weight.

 

“I’m sorry Betty.” He lamented as his eyes went wide watching the life drain from hers. She was grabbing at his arms when he pulled out the knife and slid it into the side of her neck. Blood began gushing from the wound. “I was wrong about you. You weren’t your name or your hunters blood, you’re the scrappy blonde smoking a cigarette at a party where she doesn’t belong. In another life we could have been something but I can’t have you alive.”

 

Blood began streaming out her mouth, choking her.

 

“I forgive you for everything you did but you are a risk to everything me and my people are. You know we can’t be together and you will find another mate and you will have children and they may not understand things quite the way you do.” Jughead justified his actions as he lowered himself to the ground cradling her in his arms. “I have to do this.” His words caught in his throat.

 

Betty could heal but when the damage was this substantial she would die if she didn’t get to the hospital.

 

She was going to die.

 

“Romeo and Juliet ended in tragedy and so does our story.” Jughead pushed the hair from her face that was now coated in red as she gurgled blood.

 

“As much as I wish it wasn’t so, I have to end your line, I have to.” Jughead said as he leaned down to push a kiss against her forehead, trying to comfort her in the last moment of her life. “I’m so sorry, Betty.”

 

Jughead straightened when he heard the ground crunch behind him and turned to see Cheryl Blossom standing behind him.

 

Her hair was wild, her eyes were wide and in her hand was a glowing Shadowmoon. “Then you probably should have killed me first.” Cheryl spat before raising the gun and shooting Jughead right between the eyes.

 

“Cheryl, no!” Kevin ran towards the three of them as Jughead fell to the ground with a loud thud, his hand still under Betty’s back.

 

Kevin scooped Betty up, holding her head, trying to make her wandering eyes connect with his. “Bets! Betty!” He was shaking her slightly like that would stop the blood from pouring out of her. “Betty look at me, okay? Everything is going to be fine.” Kevin lied as a tear rolled down the bridge of his nose.

 

Her eyes finally fixed on him. “Kev?” She managed to said.

 

“Yeah, Bets?” He said hopefully, holding her close to his ear.

 

“I can see everything.” She gurgled, her last words before she took her last breath and went limp in her best friends arms.

 

“Betty?” He shook her again. “Bets!” He said louder bringing her up to him, burying his head in her neck sobbing.

 

Kevin cried for a long time as Cheryl stood beside him with her hand on his shoulder. “Why did you kill him, Cheryl?” He asked.

 

“He slaughtered Betty.” She said frankly. “No matter how many rounds of twenty questions we play, he’s still an animal, a monster and he proved me right tonight.”

 

Kevin said nothing, not sure if she was right or if Jughead was just trying to protect his people. He supposed it didn’t matter now.

 

“Are you going to take her place?” Kevin asked lowering Betty to the ground, taking his cellphone out to call his dad.

 

Cheryl looked down at the gun at her head and shook her head. “I don’t know. The killer is dead, Jughead’s crime has been paid for with his life, there is no need for more death.” She said. “I’ll return Shadowmoon to Betty’s mother and hope I never have to see it again.” She sat on the ground and waited for help to arrive.

* * *

Jughead was placed upon a pyre the night of his death and burned just like his father before him. Sheriff Keller and Kevin went to the Southside to explain what had happened and tried to keep the peace. The new hunter had no want or reason to fight and neither should they. An agreement was made and the Lycans agreed to stay off the Northside if the hunter and her blood lines stayed off the South. 

 

Betty was buried four days later in a mausoleum the Cooper family had had for over a century. 

 

Alice Cooper sat in front of her daughters resting place long after the her service was over and let her eyes trace the raised letters of her name. 

 

“Again, I’m really sorry for your loss, Mrs. Cooper. I wish I could have been there sooner.” Cheryl said as she and Kevin approached the blonde woman who looked so much like her daughter. 

 

“We fought the last time I saw her. She told me she would be happy to be dead so she wouldn’t have to see me anymore.” Her voice quivered but she remained stoic. 

 

“We all say things we don’t mean when we’re upset, you know she didn’t mean it.” Kevin tried to console. 

 

Alice shook her head. “No, she meant it. I always wanted her to be the perfect balance of a lady and a warrior and that’s not who she was. Instead of accepting it, I pushed and yelled and demeaned until she left. She was gone on her eighteenth birthday. She had an apartment already, she couldn’t wait to leave.” He jaw clenched. 

 

“I’m so sorry.” Cheryl said again not knowing what else to say. 

 

“If you have children just let them be who they are. It was the biggest mistake I have ever made.” She turned to look at them. “Are you coming to the house? There will be food and drinks.” 

 

“Yeah, of course, Mrs. Cooper.” Kevin smiled. 

 

“You go ahead, I’ll meet you there.” She gave them a half smile. 

 

Alice didn’t return that night, instead she cried herself to sleep in the mausoleum. It had been the first time in five years she had slept under the same roof as her daughter. 

 

Six months later the entire pack disappeared and moved to a new town. 

 

“They’ll be back.”  Alice Cooper told Cheryl one. “They’ll wait for you to grow old, for your children to have children and then they will come back and this will happen all over again.” 

 

“Will you train me? So I can pass the knowledge down if nothing else.” Cheryl had a pleading look in her eye. “Just the basics, until I’m strong like Betty was, so we aren’t defenceless when this happens again.” 

 

Alice started at Cheryl for a long time. “Okay Cheryl, I’ll train you.” She said cautiously knowing it was the right thing to do. 

 

It was what this town needed because no matter what, werewolves and lycans alike would always come back to Riverdale. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated.


End file.
